Organic Fact Sheet
a publication of center for food safety / july 2012
What’s in a Label?
Natural: Another Name For Conventionally Grown Food
LISA J. BUNIN, Ph.D. Organic Policy Coordinator
SOME NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED organic
food companies that have built their reputation
in the organic industry are now selling new
lines of natural (not organic) products, misleading consumers about healthy food choices.
Products such as Horizon’s™ Natural Little
Blends Yogurt (for kids), Peace Cereal’s™ All
Natural Vanilla Almond Crisp Cereal, and
Silk’s™ All Natural Soymilk represent a new generation of so
called natural products, priced unjustifiably higher than conventionally produced foods and only slightly lower than certified
organic products.
What exactly do these natural labels mean in terms of USDA and
FDA regulation and oversight? And, why is the higher price for
natural products “unjustifiable”?
Most natural claims are unregulated and untested, and the minimal regulations that do exist are vague and nearly impossible to
enforce.
Natural label claims mean different things to different companies,
depending upon their target market—toddler foods, milk buyers,
snack eaters, athletes, etc. But, all natural products and labels
have one thing in common—no comprehensive, binding regulations
govern their use. Neither USDA nor FDA has been willing to evaluate the enormous variety of natural label claims in the market
today or to develop clear policies that would allow consumers to
make informed choices about the so called natural foods they buy.
Subsequently, consumers have been misled by the natural food
industry and label, paying unjustifiably higher prices for foods that
may not be the healthiest choice.
Minimal USDA regulations that do exist are so vague and so narrow that the use of the term natural on food packaging possesses
no real meaning for consumers. Adding to the confusion, USDA
allows all fresh cuts of meat to be labeled natural as long as they
“contain no artificial ingredients” and are “not more than minimally processed,” without specifying what “minimally processed”
actually means in practice. Even worse is the fact that the natural
meat label permits the regular and unnatural use of antibiotics
and hormones, including rBGH and rBST. It also permits raising
livestock and poultry in inhumane, confined animal feeding operations or CAFOs.
w w w. c e n t e r f o r f o o d s a f e t y. o r g
So why are companies using the unverified
natural label on their products and getting
away with it?
Market surveys show that health conscious
consumers buy and trust food that prominently
displays the word “natural” on the front of the
package, even though the “natural” claim
does not deliver any added health benefits above and beyond
those of conventionally manufactured foods. In fact, some surveys
have found that “natural” has a broader public appeal than
“organic,” even though organic is a government-regulated label
requiring farmers and food manufacturers to adhere to strict
growing, processing, handling, and labeling practices.
Since no federal government agency has adopted a binding definition of natural, companies can and do blur the boundaries
between their “natural” and “certified organic” brands by using
nearly identical labels for both product lines. Companies insert
either the word “organic” or “natural” as the tagline under the
brand name, depending upon the product being marketed. This
creates consumer confusion at the grocery store, and disillusionment at home when consumers realize that they did not purchase
the certified organic product that they had intended.
To help you understand the true value of eating certified organic
foods, CFS has compiled the following chart which explains the
vast differences between unregulated natural and third party verified certified organic food.
Certified organic foods remain the best choice for people wanting to eat healthy foods, grown without the use of synthetic toxic
chemicals, sewage sludge, GMOs, growth hormones, antibiotics,
and cloned animals or their offspring. They are also the best
choice for people who care about the environment and who want
to support agricultural practices that build soil, support biodiversity,
and conserve water and energy. Foods bearing the certified organic
label and the USDA organic seal are grown, processed and certified
as organic by USDA-trained, independent, certification organizations,
in accordance with the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA).
This system of verifiable checks and balances ensures that certified organic foods meet the healthiest food production standards
required by law and that they are grown in a manner that safeguards human health, animal welfare, and the environment.
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Issue of Concern
Natural
Organic
Law governing growing, processing & handling
No
Yes (OFPA)
Law regulating label claims
No
Yes (OFPA)
Toxic, synthetic pesticide & fertilizer use
Possibly
No
Sewage sludge applied on farmland
Possibly
No
Genetically Engineered (GE) ingredients
Possibly
No
Animal growth hormones (rBGH & rBST)
Possibly
No
Antibiotic use in livestock and poultry
Possibly
No
Irradiation for food preservation
Possibly
No
Cloned animals & offspring
Possibly
No
Access to pasture required for ruminants
No
Yes
Access to outdoors required for animals
No
Yes
Biodiversity enhancement required
No
Yes
Soil nutrient building required
No
Yes
Crop rotations required
No
Yes
Independent, third-party inspections required
No
Yes
Independent, third-party certification required
No
Yes
Organically grown & processed
Possibly
Yes
Conventionally grown & processed
Likely
No
How Can You Tell It’s Organic?* Look for the Certified Organic Label
At the farmers market or farm stand, look for the official certified organic certificate required by law to be prominently posted.
At the grocery store, look for an overhead sign or bin that says organic. Individual fruits and vegetables must be individually
marked with an organic sticker or imprint.
For processed foods, look for the USDA organic seal on the front of the package which guarantees that 95-100 percent of the
ingredients in the product is organic. Only 5 percent of the ingredients, at most, can come from the USDA’s list of approved nonorganic ingredients. The name of the certifying agent must be listed on the package.
A product labeled made with organic ingredients can contain up to 30 percent non-organic ingredients that are on the USDA’s
list of approved non-organic ingredients. Each organic ingredient must be listed on the ingredient label. Made with organic
products do not display the USDA organic seal or any certifying agent seal or logo.
* NOTE: All non-organic ingredients used in certified organic products and those labeled made with organic ingredients must
come from the USDA’s National List of approved substances for use in organic. Such ingredients cannot be produced using
excluded methods such as genetic engineering, cloning, nanotechnology, and irradiation, and they cannot harm human health
or the environment.